Treatment of air for internal-combustion-engine carbureters



F. F. STRATTON. TREATMENT'OF AIR FORI INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINECARBURETERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, IBM? 1 387,02 1 Patented Aug'n), 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

F. F. STRATTON. TREATMENT OF AIR FOR IINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINECARBURETERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1916.

Patentd Aug. 9, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFrlcs.

FENTON F. STRATTON, OF EAST GROYDON, ENGLAND.

Application filed May 23,

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FnN'roN Fnnnnnron STRATTON, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Oak L e, Park Hill Road, East Croydon,Surre ngland, have invented new and use Improvements in and Relating tothe Treatment of Air for Internal-Combustion-Engine Carbureters, ofwhich the following is the specification.

This invention relates to. improved means for heating and screenin airfor carbureters. employed in motor ve "else and also to means formoistening or adding water vapor as required to the said heated a1r.

One ob ect of this invention is to provide better means for heating theair supply to carbureters especially as used for motor engines, and thusprevent the freezing of the carbureter; the said means serving also toscreen or sift the ingoin air so as to prevent the entry of grit or sanwhich occas1onally sticks an automatic valve in a. carbureter and alsoinjures valve seatings and cylinder walls.

A further object of this invention is tov providemeans whereby a smallamount of water-or water vapor may be added to the ingoing air to theearbureter. I have found in ractice that considerable advantage 1sderived from adding, as it may be required, a little water vapor to theingoing air the carbureter, one advantageous result being a reduction inthe deposit of carbon on the interior walls of the combustion chamber.

In orderlthat my invention may be completely understood reference shouldbe made to the appended sheet of drawings, some figures of which-are toalarge extent diagrammatic, and in which Figurel shows a side elevationofan in- .ternal combustion engine of the type employed for thepropulsion of motor vehicles with the air heating apparatus constructedaccording to my invention, shown in part section. I

Fig.2 is a plan ofv Fig. 1;; Fig. 3 shows a modi ed form of the airheating casing shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of. the apparatus shown in 3.

Fig. 5 a further modification of the heating ap aratus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 s ows a transverse sectlon of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5

Fig. 7 shows the arrangement shown in lbeclfleation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

1916'. Serial No. 99,352.

Fig. 1, for heating and screening the ingoing air to the carbureter,with means for providing for the supply of a small. quantltfi of waterto thesaid heated air.

eferring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is an internal, combustion engine of knowntype having an exhaust manifold B, and induction manifold C. D is aoarbureter of standard design provided with a float chamber D haus'tmanifold B, and in contact therewith, I provide a rectangular casing Eof suitable length and provided on the interior surface thereof with aplurality of ribs or webs F these said webs are placed at suitableintervals apart and project upwardly from the interior lower surface ofthe said casing E. The webs F are inclined toward the incoming' air,which' enters at the end F The said webs or ribs F serve as baflle orscreenplaced in line with or edgewise to the pass- 1 ing air, in orderthe better to intercept grit Situated adjacent to the said exorparticles carried by .the air. By this means the air not only becomesheated by the adjacent exhaust pipe B, but the grit, sand, or dirt fromthe road is trapped in front of the webs or ribs F.

I provide the casing E with a hinged flap or cover K (see Fig. 4) on theside most convenient for access in order to be able to readily removefrom time to time any grit or the like trapped by the said ribs F.

I provide at the rear end of the said casing, a pipe G, for conveyingthe heated and screened air from the sand casing to the carbureter D, ofsuitable diameter, in order not bureter.

The area of the passageway through the casing E is considerably greater,and it may with advantage be three times greater than the area of thepassageway for air or mixture to the carbureter.

Rotatably surrounding the said pipe G, I provide a sleeve H of suitabledimensions, Having a port'J therein adapted to register with a similarport (not shown.) in the wall of the pipe G. The said sleeve may beretated about the pipe G by suitable links connected to the arm H fromthe drivers seat of the vehicle, in order that the port J on the tothrottle the intake of air to the said can sleeve may be caused touncover the port in the Wall of the pipe G when it is desired to controlor reduce the supply of heated air to the carbureter, or when extra airis required.

With reference to Figs. 3 and 4, these show a modified form of theheater shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this modification a casing E similarto that before described is pro.- vided with a plurality of ribs or websF of preferably inclined form depending downwardly rom the upperinterior surface thereof. Similar webs or ribs F are provided projectingupwardly from the lower surface of the interior of the casing E andsimilarly spaced, each lower web being placed midway between two of theupper webs F i Fig. 4: is a transverse section of the casing E shown inFig. 3, showing the hinged cleaning flap K. By opening this flap asindicated in dotted lines, the interior of the casing E is readilyaccessible, and the grit or the like ma be removed when desired. Thesaid flap is fastened or secured when closed by suitable means such as aflynut or the like. v

With reference to Figs. 5 and 6, these show a further modification ofthe heating casing shown in the previous figures, In the example shown,the chamber or caslng E is of cylindrical form and surroundsthe exhaustmanifold B. It is provided with baffle ribs dr webs F alternatelyprojecting and depending from the upper and lower interior surfaces ofthe casing, E

The function of the apparatus is similar to that before described withreference to Figs. 1 to 4.

The casing E is previded with a sliding segment K adapted to uncover aport in the said casing E for cleaning purposes.

The casing E if desired, may be provided with a hinged shutter similartothat before described and shown inFig. 4;, butof segmentai section.

Fig. 7 shows, the before described heating and screening means togetherwith means whereby a smali quantity of water may be injected into thepre-heated air for the purpose of adding water vapor to the explosionmixture drawn into the combustion cham-' ameter pipe M, secured to thesaid pipe G,

for a suitable distance along its length, the

short length of pipe M is connected by suitable piping to the deliverycock of a drip sight feed device N of any suitableand known designcapable of being adjusted to give any desired rate of flow, secured tothe dash board R of the vehicle. drip feed device N is connected at itsintake by suitable piping O to any desirable form of exterior reservoirsuch as tank P secured in the example shown to the back of the driversseat or other suitable position. The sight feed device N is providedwith a screw-down needle adjusting valve N in order thatthe rate of flowof the water from the injection jet or nozzle L, may be accuratelyvaried as desired. By this means a small quantity ofwater is deliveredto the pipe M, this pipe being in contact with the pipe G through whichthe heated air passes. The water delivered thereto is raised intemperature before being injected into the said ingoing air to thecarbureter in order that it may be more readily caused to evaporate.

The jet nozzle L may be provided with a suitable pulverizing or sprayingdevice similar in form to those employed in some carbureters, in orderthat'the water may be injected into the heated air in the form of acloud or spray which would more readily evaporate.

It will be obvious that when a separate water supply tank is used thissaid tank may be placed in any suitable position on the vehicle. Forexample, where this invention is used in connection with commercialvehicles may be advantageous to place the said tank on the roof of the.said vehicle.

Tffsome cases it may be found desirable or necessary to place the tankat a lower level than the sight feed indicator, when means would beprovided to maintain a constant pressure upon the upper surface of theliquid contained therein by any suitable This saidv means such as areprovided in pressure fed petrol tanks. y

it will be readily understood with reference to any of the forms ofheating chambers or casings before described that the said casing may ifdesired be formed integrally with the exhaust manifold as one castinginstead of being a separate unit.

I may refer in an alternative arrangement to take the air supply fromthe front end of the heating and screening casing and to ieave the rearend of the casing open to the air.

'ViThat T do claim as m invention and de sire to secure by Letwrs atentis '1. In a device of the character described, in combination with aconduit for the passage of a heating element, of a chamber disposedtherearound for the admission of air to be heated by the element, saidchamber being open at one end and having a connection at its. oppositeend with a carbureter,

and a plurality of inclined ba-fiies arranged within the chamber forscreening the .air prior to its admission to the carbureter.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with aconduit forthe passage of a heating element, ofa chamber dis posedtherearound forfthe admission of air to be heated by the element, saidchamber being open at one end and having a connection at its oppositeend with a carbureter', and a plurality of staggeredly positionedinclined baflles arranged Within the chamber for screening the air priorto its admission to the carbureter. I

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with aconduit for the passage of a heating element, of a chamber'disposedtherearound for the admission of air to be heated by the element, saidchamber being open at one end and having a connection at its oppositeend with a carbureter, and a plurality of forwardly inclined bafilesarranged within the chamber for screening the air prior to its admissionto the carbureter.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with aconduit for the passage' of a heating element, of'a chamber disposedtherearound for the admission of airto be heated by the element, saidchamber being open at one end and having a connection at its oppositeend with a carburetor, and a plurality of inclined baflles having theirend portions ofi'set arranged within the chamber for screening the airprior to its admission to the carbureter.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with aconduit for the passage of a heating element,'and a chamber I disposedtherearound for the admission of air to be heated by the element, saidchamber being open at one end and having a connection at its oppositeend with a carbureter, and a plurality of inclined baffles havingtheir.end portions arranged parallel to the sides of the chamber andarranged within the same for screening the air prior to its admission tothe carbureter.

6. In a device of the, character described, the combination with a.conduit for the passage of a-heating element, of a chamberdisposedtherearound for the admission of air to be heated by theelement, said chamber being open at one end and having a connection atits opposite end with the carbureter, means arranged within the chamberfor screening the air prior to its admission to the carbureter, and aclean out opening a r- F. F'. STRATTON.

\Vitnesses: I I

I. D. Roo'rs, L. POLIAKOFF.

